HealthyLife Articles

Tag: Financial Wellness

  • Breastfeeding And Work

    WORK LIFE

    Breast pump bottle filled with milk.

    Going back to work doesn’t mean an end to breastfeeding. Many new moms find they can pump their breastmilk while at work. This allows them to keep their milk supply up. It also gives them milk to feed their baby later, so they can reduce the need for formula.

    *  Ask your employer about a place to pump at work. You should have a place to pump safely and privately that’s not a bathroom.

    *  Your employer should also allow adequate break times to pump.

    *  Invest in a quality pump. Many moms find that electric pumps are easier and faster than manual ones. A pump may be covered by your insurance.

    *  Have ice packs and coolers to store your milk while at work. It’s important to keep breastmilk fresh and safe for your baby.

    Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Reevaluate Your Budget

    FINANCIAL HEALTH

    Women working on a budget.

    Following a monthly budget is one of the best ways to manage your finances. A budget provides a clear picture of where your money comes from and where it is going.

    Budgets change over time. Changes in your income, expenses, or spending can create an imbalance or even a surplus. If it’s been a while since you reviewed your budget, it may be time for a checkup.

    Record all income

    Add up all your sources of income in a month. These can include paychecks, child support, and government benefits. The total of all money coming in counts as income, whether it came from a traditional paycheck or not.

    Record all expenses

    Add up all the bills you must pay. These include housing costs, car payments, utility and phone bills, child support, debt payments, etc. Most bills are recurring each month.

    Evaluate spending

    In addition to bills, you also need to allocate money for food, gas, and sundries. This is where spending can quickly get out of control. Review three to six months of spending in each category and determine what a reasonable monthly amount should be.

    Consider saving goals

    Assess the state of your savings. Ideally, you should have several months of expenses in a savings account as a safety net. Determine if you need to allocate more money in this area.

    Make a long-term plan

    Financial stability requires long-term thinking. Reflect on your long-term financial goals such as college savings, retirement, or big expenses. Is your current budget working?

    Adjust budget

    Using the information you’ve gathered, update your budget to accurately reflect your current income and expenses. If you have extra at the end of the month, consider increasing your saving goals or long-term financial plans.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Balance It All

    Work Life

    Mother and son sitting while son is writing in a notebook.

    Career, family, and a personal life. You can have it all, can’t you? Absolutely! But when the demands of work overtake the demands of your family and personal life, you can suffer chronic stress and burnout. And miss out on some of the best things in life. Sometimes it takes effort to balance it all.

    The key might be to keep your eye on your values, learn to say no, stop reaching for perfection, and “unplug” regularly.

    ays to Well-Being book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Collecting Unclaimed Funds

    FINANCIAL HEALTH

    Young couple holding a jar with money in it.

    Could you have money waiting for you? Learn about unclaimed money or property from bank accounts, tax refunds, insurance policies or wages and pensions.

    You can find your unclaimed money for free. Here’s how:

    *  Search in every state where you have lived. Look up each state’s unclaimed property office. You can also try contacting the state treasurer’s office.

    *  Search the FDIC database. If your bank or credit union closed, you could have unclaimed deposits. You can also check out the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) atwww.ncua.gov/support-services.

    *  Current or former VA life insurance holders can check for unclaimed life insurance funds. Go toinsurance.va.gov/UnclaimedFunds.

    *  Look for tax refunds from an FHA-insured mortgage. If you earned income but your wages were below the tax filing requirement, you might have a refund waiting. Go toirs.gov/refunds to check. If you bought mortgage insurance from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), you might have a refund. Go toentp.hud.gov/dsrs/refunds.

    *  Do you have unclaimed back wages or pension money from a past employer? Go to the Workers Owed Wages (WOW) website atwebapps.dol.gov/wow. You can also check the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation atpbgc.gov.

    Notice that these websites include “gov.” They don’t have a “com” or “org.” The “gov” means it’s an official U.S. Government website. You should never have to pay any money to find or claim your unclaimed money. It’s FREE. Watch out for scammers and people who want to charge you for this service.

    Source: usa.gov

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Save At The Supermarket

    FINANCIAL HEALTH

    Couple at the grocery store.

    While the cost of food is out of your control, smart shopping habits will help keep your grocery bill more manageable.

    Tips to save on groceries

    Shop with a list

    Grocery stores know just how to tempt you to make impulse purchases. With eye-catching end cap displays and strategically placed snack foods, it’s easy to end up bringing home more than you intended. Instead, make a detailed list before you go and stick to it.

    Check the cabinets

    How many times have you purchased an item only to find you already have it hidden in the back of your pantry? As you make your shopping list, carefully check your current food supply to make sure you really need the ingredients.

    Buy in bulk

    When possible, purchase family-sized or bulk items for your most commonly used ingredients. This works especially well for meats, beans, rice, grains, and pasta. When you get home, promptly freeze or store the extra. You can also join a wholesale club to get better prices on bulk food.

    Eat seasonally

    Fruits and vegetables are cheapest when in season. For example, berries are more expensive in the winter than during peak berry season in the summer. Oranges and other citrus are usually cheapest during the winter months. Opt for in-season produce whenever possible.

    Stock up

    Buy more than one when your favorite foods go on sale. Dry goods generally keep for a long time, and many fresh foods can be frozen for longer storage. Keep in mind that you should only stock up on ingredients you regularly use.

    Low-cost recipes

    How you choose to eat is a major determinant of your food budget. If you like to cook gourmet, you’ll need fancier ingredients that cost more. Instead, find tasty recipes that use inexpensive ingredients. Examples include beans, rice, frozen vegetables, tuna, potatoes, and eggs.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Build A Budget

    Financial Health

    Make a plan to live within your means.

    No matter what your income, having a budget helps you plan and manage your money. It also helps you get a grip on your spending. You can use a budget-making tool, such as a free one from the websitewww.mint.com. You can write one on your own with a pencil and paper.

    Track your expenses:

    First, list your fixed monthly must-haves − mortgage or rent, phone, cable, Internet access, car payment, or public transit costs. Include other regular set monthly expenses, such as loan payments, tuition and/or student loans, insurance premiums, church donations, and gym and other monthly membership fees. Next, identify your variable expenses. These include what you spend weekly, monthly, two or four times a year, and yearly for:

    *  Groceries

    *  Restaurant meals, snacks, coffee and other drinks

    *  Gas and upkeep for your car

    *  Electric, gas, and water bills

    *  Property taxes

    *  Credit card payments

    *  Entertainment – Movies, DVDs, concerts, golf, toys, and social events

    *  Clothes and shoes

    *  Haircuts, cosmetics, and toiletries

    *  Gifts for birthdays, holidays, weddings, etc.

    *  Household items and home improvements

    *  Vacation

    You can get amounts for many of these from monthly statements for your credit cards, debit cards, and checking and saving accounts. Otherwise, get and keep receipts for everything you pay for. You may be surprised by how much you spend on coffee drinks, food, liquor, and tips when eating out.

    Put some of your income into a savings account. Do this yourself from your take-home pay or have a pre-set amount automatically deposited into a savings account.

    Start by listing your total monthly income:

    Include your take-home pay, alimony, child support, unemployment, social security, and public aid. If you work on commission or freelance, your income can vary from month to month. Just estimate a monthly amount.

    Action Step

    If you are spending more than you earn, cut back on variable expenses. If you still have money left over after paying your bills and putting money into savings, carry over the extra for future expenses.

    Ways to Well-Being book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Conquer Job Stress

    SUCCESS OVER STRESS

    Happy man with arms up while setting at work desk.

    Burnout: When stress goes too far

    When stress goes on for too long, a person may feel “burned out.” This usually means they become exhausted and unable to do their job well anymore. They may also become negative or feel angry toward others at work.

    Burnout can seriously affect your health. It can lead to depression and possibly other problems, like heart disease and stroke.

    Stop the cycle

    It’s not too late to manage your work stress. Even if you feel your stress is high, there are ways to make things better. Here’s how:

    *Take breaks – even short ones.Just 10 minutes of downtime during the day can make a big difference in your stress levels. Don’t work through lunch and break times.

    *Practice the art of waiting and walking away.If you feel angry or stressed about something, don’t respond right away. Say something like, “let me think about that and get back to you.” Avoid sending angry emails when you feel stressed.

    *Go easy on yourself.Are you expecting perfection from yourself? No one is perfect. Learn from mistakes and move on.

    *Discuss your concerns.If you’re having trouble with something at work, talk to your supervisor about solutions. Don’t keep it bottled inside and assume it will work itself out.

    Source: American Psychological Association

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Save Now For Holiday Gift-Giving

    FINANCIAL HEALTH

    Piggy bank with holiday lights and ornments.

    The holidays have a way of sneaking up on us. Before you know it, the stores will be full of holiday cheer, enticing you to begin what is often a season of overspending.

    Now is the ideal time to start saving so you won’t be caught unprepared. If you enter the holidays with a plan, you will be less likely to impulse-purchase or rack up unwanted credit card debt.

    Three easy steps to make your holidays debt-free

    1.Set a gift-buying budget.Decide in advance how much you can reasonably spend.  For some people, setting a dollar amount per person works well. Or you can set a total amount that feels comfortable for you.

    2.Use your budget to determine how much you need to save each month.Take a hard look at your income versus your bills and see how much money you can set aside. If your gift-buying budget is more than you can save, it’s time to reevaluate. Remember, the goal is to get through the holiday season without racking up debt.

    3.Put the money out of reach.Open a separate savings account so you won’t be tempted to spend your holiday money. When you’re ready to begin buying gifts, using cash can help keep you on budget. Another option is to purchase gift cards you can use for holiday purchases.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Deal With Debt

    Financial Health

    Get out of debt on your own or with help.

    Whether it’s from living above your means, expensive medical bills, a job loss, or supporting your parents, you can eliminate debt. The first step is to avoid getting deeper in debt. Limit spending to essentials and follow a plan to pay down the debt.

    On your own:

    *  Cut up credit cards or put them away until they are paid off.

    *  Rank order what needs to be paid off – student and other loans, credit cards, etc.

    *  Contact your creditors right away to work out payment plans that you can manage. Do this before debt collectors get involved. If you can’t work out a plan with your mortgage company, contact the local office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the housing authority in your state, city, or county for help in finding a legitimate housing counseling agency near you.

    *  Bring in more income from a part time job and selling household items you no longer need at a garage sale or online site, such as Ebay. Consider selling some of your gold and silver jewelry for cash.

    Get professional help from:

    *  A professional financial planner through work

    *  The Financial Planning Association (FPA) at 800.647.6340 orwww.fpanet.org

    *  The National Foundation for Credit Counseling at 800.388.2227 orwww.nfcc.org/FirstStep/firststep_03.cfm.

    Beware of any debt relief service that*:

    *  Charges any fees before it settles your debts

    *  Pressures you to make “voluntary contributions,” another name for fees

    *  Touts a “new government program” to bail out personal credit card debt

    *  Guarantees it can make your debt go away

    *  Tells you it can stop all debt collection calls and lawsuits

    *  Guarantees that your credit card and any other debt not tied to an asset, such as your house, can be paid off for just pennies on the dollar

    *  Offers to enroll you in a debt management program (DMP) without teaching you skills to budget and manage your money

    *  Adapted fromwww.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre19.shtm

    Action Step

    Pay off the credit card or other debt with the lowest balance first. After this is paid in full, pay down the next debt with the lowest balance.

    Ways to Well-Being book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Dealing With Difficult Personalities

    WORK LIFE

    Two coworkers sitting with laptop, talking and drinking coffee.

    Everyone’s personality has its own quirks and idiosyncrasies. In the workplace, you may have to deal with many different personalities, each with a unique set of positives and negatives. Learning how to get along with a variety of people will make you a better co-worker and employee.

    When you tap into people’s strengths and work productively together, you contribute to a work environment where everyone can thrive.

    Acknowledge their contributions

    It can be easy to identify the frustrating parts of someone’s personality. But, everyone brings something to the table. If you focus on what everyone contributes, it can change your whole perspective.

    Get in the habit of noticing what others do well or correctly. Say thank you, or send an email letting them know you appreciate them.

    Pick your battles

    Sometimes people just rub each other the wrong way. It’s a normal and unavoidable part of life. At work, it’s often better to let things go instead of getting upset over every irritation. There will be times when conflict is unavoidable. So, save your energy for when it really matters.

    Ask questions

    Take the time to get to know and understand the people you work with. Find out how they work best so you can develop strategies for interacting with them. For example, if you know a co-worker is slow responding to email, choose another form of communication. Building on each others’ strengths will decrease everyone’s frustration and stress.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine